Raise your eyes and watch this elegant creamy blooming up the cabbage trees. Some people say abundant flowering means a warm summer. Bring it on!
Tī kōuka – cabbage trees are beautiful and part of New Zealand unique landscape.
However, they are not liked in gardens because their leaves shed constantly and do not decompose easily.
These leaves are great fire starters: take three to five leaves, fold and knot them together. It gets easy with gloves and a bit of practice!
Leaves can be left to decompose, it will take a long time but they eventually do and are therefore a good slow release fertiliser.
Cabbage trees are amazing, when chopped, they grow back. If some trunck is left, they’ll grow from there, and in less than a year, the cut will be hidden by new growth. If chopped on the ground, they’ll grow again, maybe a bit further as they are like the asparagus.
We get to admire some mature cabbage trees groups during our garden tours.
Guided Garden Tours 